People who innovate

Why do the peoples of some countries innovate like breeding rabbits, whilst others just wait for the fruits of innovation to reach them? Innovation in spite of recessions and gloomy economic climates. In-innovation in spite of sterling incomes and diamond bright economic conditions.

There just are no predictors - some innovate and some don't. Period.

The cosmic question is…why?

I do not think it is a matter of being hungry for fame and wealth. Neither is it a matter of being afraid of losing careers or positions. While I do agree that the human spirit and mind are primed to naturally always try to do things better, I must also say that this innovation thing is something that requires many parts of the human puzzle to come together before a fuse is lit.

Innovation is about throwing a spanner in the works, could be good, could be bad or could be neutral; but we are disrupting the normal flow of events in order to do things differently. And all because we believe that this will serve some purpose that we will righteously fight for. The catch words here are ‘We believe’.

Let’s suppose that this is true – We believe.

Do we purposefully sew our experiences and knowledge together so we achieve that state of ‘We believe’? Or do we need to lead a certain type of existence and lifestyle that continues till we suddenly wake up one day and we are in a whole new state of mind that makes us want to innovate? Or is it something else altogether?

The latest phrase in building innovation ecosystems, brought on by a book, is likened to a rainforest, where the necessary ingredients for building an innovation ecosystem come together to catalyse this. That might be so, but even then, the human factor is what I am talking about here. The rainforest might attract the right humans, but where do these people develop and how does it happen?

I think a big part of the process is for us to experience and know life and all its idiosyncrasies. The seeds of innovation are sown when through whatever means – travelling, experimenting, parental influence, reading – we discover the world and its people and an internal realization occurs. The realisation that it is a wonderful feeling when we create something that is uniquely ours. It does not matter initially if people want it or not, but we have given birth to something that has an impact. In doing so, a cascade of events occur that causes our immediate circle of friends and families to evaluate and like or dislike that ‘baby’. Again a series of events take place in our brains in response to what people say and do, and we take the birthing process to the next level. We start to explore what it is people like and want, what might perhaps create an income and have an impact in changing the world; and to leave a lasting legacy for the world that is uniquely identified with our name, that brings us immortality.

I am not trying to imply that innovation happens because innovators want things in return. That is a by-product. The evolution of the talent itself happens form a state of chaos where all the things that make us human, come together under many different types of varied circumstances, but culminates in the personality of an innovator.

Which is why the true innovator can never be trained, they are created way before even they themselves know they have the talent.

I also believe that conditions, perceptions and social norms that make-up a country play a crucial role in the development of innovators. It is part of the chaos that enables innovators to evolve. In many Asian, we are fixed on running the rat race (though this is starting to change) and fitting in to what we should do rather than we want to do. There are many outliers, but few are willing or able to step out of the mold to play the part of eccentric personalities who dare to be different and play outside the box. Our social rules and customs do not allow this. Make sure you have a stable income, you have health insurance and a property, have a good wife and give your children a good education…all the standard rules apply. We do not have the time or the means or are even allowed to (!) to get to know ourselves, and connect to our potentials.

We choose regular study courses that will maximize incomes, and are not encouraged to be young politicians or to speak out against elders. Appeals to tradition, authority, history and government is a blessed way of life, and anything else is severely frowned upon. When you behave this way, you will be taken care off and supported through your young life, tightly controlled and allowed to deviate within fixed boundaries. We have high academic achievements, and most of us have no idea what to do with it. We need a set of rules and orders so can again follow the rules through adulthood.

What wondrous educated idiot slaves we make!

Contrast this to a country like The US where people are encouraged to be themselves and to cultivate their own uniqueness and to explore that fully. Individuals are given all the ground to explore everything fully, and young people are literally thrown out on their own and expected to find their way in life and to do whatever it takes to support themselves. They succeed and fail, pick themselves up (or not) and succeed and fail again. But when young, mistakes can be made cheaply and with no lasting impact. Failures, bitterness and costly mistakes are celebrated and gotten drunk over, and then it is time to apply those lessons learned to the next project. Those are the beginnings of an innovation rainforest, people who believe in themselves enough that they dare to try, dare to lose and dare to win. Everyone is an outspoken leader, and everyone believes they can be the next president. And everyone takes it for granted that they surely should be able to come up with at least one new thing that changes the course of human history. It would be crazy to believe anything else, not with the wealth of experiences they have! Their cultural norms and public perceptions expect them to get the heck out of their comfort zones and quickly make all the mistakes they want to get to the next big thing. This is an expectation, not a hope. Those among them who stand out, get the funding and support to realise everything that everyone dreams off.

So, where to go from here?

I have no idea. Chaos is good. Freedom to explore is good. We cannot create innovators in fixed training sessions, we need to cultivate the human components that leads to the realisation that innovators will evolve.

Is there a process to do this?

Who knows?

Maybe there is…